Apart from its not been moved just for Sky. I believe Derby have a new player who wont be eligible to play on the 1st but will be on the 2nd of Jan - will laugh rather a lot if he is unable to play for any reason
In the interest of the ‘integrity of the competition’ he should be excluded from partaking in fixtures which should have been played the previous day! No chance of that.... might have been the case had the same fixture being against WBA or Leeds!
You make a very good point here - moving a game so that an ineligible player suddenly becomes eligible does seem wrong and against the intention of the rules. No other sides are able to take advantage of delaying fixtures in the January window to get additional players in a game early - I also suspect if Derby had been signing someone like Danny Ings from a USA side there is no way the game would have been moved
It's just indicative of the way things are going. Not surprised in the slightest. We may have a good chance of spoiling their party.
It might be the case. I've not watched any MLS "soccer", but I could see it being a lot different to the Championship, in terms of speed & physicality, so it might take him time to adjust. No doubt I'll be eating my words though.
What a disgrace - not only have they got around FFP rules by making him a "coach", they've got the game moved as well? Why don't we just give them the 3 points now?
I agree it's a disgrace but I think that FFP thing might not actually apply: "Rooney's entire wages will count towards the club's Financial Fair Play (FFP) calculations despite him moving to Pride Park as a player-coach, as there is no 50% split on wages for such dual roles at that level - unlike in League One and League Two." https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49265227
Surely Barnsley FC will have had to agree to the date move? Is this yet another example of putting income before anything else eg fans being able to get to the game, team winning? Or are 'they' just wanting to see a 'Shrek' look-a-like?
It's a complete **** take. Accommodating one player for the disruption of 30k fans..... I hope he's injured......... Not like its his fault like, I get that. We ought to have asked the EFL if we could have delayed our season start until Dougal was fit, until we sussed Sibbicks best position and until they got pepper int Ponty End condoments stations!!!!!